Nature Canada

The West Virginia White

If you have never seen or heard of the West Virginia White before, you will be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is in the butterfly family! This butterfly is small (only 3-4cm in wingspan) and is white. Its wings are translucent and on the underside they have veins with grey-brown scaling. While a caterpillar, it is yellow-green with a green stripe along each side. It is most commonly found in Quebec, Ontario (although more rarely), New England and Georgia.

Its Habitat

The habitat of the West Virginia White is in moist, deciduous woodlots. The butterfly requires a supply of toothwort in the forest (a small, spring-blooming plant) because that is the only food source for the larvae. As an adult, the West Virginia White needs flower nectar from toothworts. The male butterflies patrol slowly to locate females. Eggs are laid on undersides of host plant leaves. This butterfly is one of the first active in the spring and its flight period is quire short. Also, they fly only once per year. In Ontario, the flight period has been recorded from April 4 to June 13th.

Of Special Concern

The West Virginia White has been listed as Special Concern which means that it require close attention because it can become endangered or threatened at any point. The butterfly is threatened mostly by garlic mustard which is an invasive species found in the forest. The butterflies often opt to lay their eggs on the garlic mustard instead of their host plant. Sadly, the larvae often do not survive when on garlic mustard.

So, to help, if you have a garden or are near a forested area, make note of the garlic mustard and if possible, try to remove some. Every little bit helps! Also, do share this information with friends and family so that they can help save the West Virginia White!

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